"Meow!"
The intermittent mewing of the cat echoed through the forest.
Yuhi Kurenai, with her sharp perception as a genjutsu user, could sense the cat's location. But the thick underbrush and tangled foliage hindered her movement, preventing her from closing the distance.
Each time she neared it, the cat darted into the bushes and vanished.
"Good speed... but poor control."
Jingyi, perched on a tree branch, shook his head with a soft sigh.
No matter. Practice makes perfect. Let her run through it a few more times, realize her flaws, and only then would his guidance have true impact.
While observing, Jingyi pondered his swordsmanship. Yesterday marked the first time he had tested Liu Kenjutsu against a human opponent. The more he thought about it, the more he felt it might be compatible with the Iaigiri style of fast-draw slashing.
Genjutsu takes too long why use prolonged illusions when a single decisive instant could finish the battle?
But self-created techniques weren't something achieved overnight. They weren't formally taught, and so Jingyis path required self-discovery, trial and error.
"Sensei... Can I rest for a bit?"
Kurenai's breath was ragged. Her long dark hair was full of leaves, and her red outfit had been stained with dust. The usual composed demeanor she carried was nowhere to be seen.
Yet despite her efforts, the cat remained elusive if anything, it seemed faster than before.
"Take five. While you rest, let's talk. Do you know where you're going wrong?"
"...My stamina is weak, and I'm too slow."
"Not exactly," Kyoichi said. "You have the speed. But your control is lacking. You're not adjusting your momentum properly. And more importantly why haven't you tried using genjutsu?"
"Huh? I can use genjutsu here?"
Kurenai blinked in surprise.
She hadn't even thought of it she was trying to solve a physical problem with a purely physical answer.
But genjutsu was her specialty.
Of course!
Even if she couldn't physically catch the cat, she could deceive it. Trick its senses. Influence its perception.
However, Kurenai knew it wouldn't be simple.
She'd still need time to weave hand seals, and the cat wasn't going to wait around while she prepared. She would have to factor in timing, terrain, and opportunity.
Her eyes lit up as the gears turned in her mind.
"Sensei, I think I've got it. Let me try again!"
…
Hokage Office
"Catching a cat... as training?"
The burning tobacco in the pipe of Sarutobi Hiruzen had gone untouched as he stared at the crystal ball, baffled.
Typically, missions like these were D-rank, meant to get Genin used to teamwork and simple tracking never intended for real training. Most of the ninja-owned pets were well-fed, pampered creatures.
But now, watching how Jingyi had turned it into a tailored training exercise, he was genuinely impressed.
"Hmm... And the others? Fetching water and chopping wood?"
He glanced at his son through the crystal orb.
Asuma was lugging two full buckets from the river, water sloshing with each uneven step. Spill too much, and he had to start again.
Physical endurance training.
Then, shifting the telescope technique, Hiruzen turned his attention to Uchiha Shisui.
The boy was chopping firewood not randomly, but deliberately, applying sword techniques and refining his control with each swing. He seemed focused on maximizing efficiency.
"This boy..." Hiruzen took a long drag of his pipe. "Too many unconventional ideas."
The tobacco had burned out on its own. A shame. What a waste.
Still, the concept intrigued him.
They had long used D-rank missions for early experience, but never with this kind of precision. Jingyi had taken it further building combat fundamentals into basic labor.
Could it be replicated across the village?
Probably not. Every team was different. Jingyi's Genin team had high potential. Other teams might not handle such rigor.
Still...
Perhaps elite squads could adopt similar models.
And Shisui...
Could he be another Uchiha Kagami?
"I hope so," Hiruzen muttered, dismissing the telescope technique.
…
Evening, near dusk
Kurenai finally returned the cat to its owners, scratched, bruised, and thoroughly exhausted but successful. She received the team's mission reward with quiet satisfaction.
Later that evening, at a barbecue restaurant near the village center, Jingyi and his team crossed paths with Minato's Team 7.
"Shisui! Asuma!"
Obito waved animatedly, as if he were the one treating everyone tonight.
Minato Namikaze gave a warm smile when he saw Jingyi enter. "Jingyi, care to join us?"
"Sure. We'll order a few more dishes."
The kids looked starved. Military ration pills weren't real meals.
Kakashi, ever the quiet one, averted his gaze but his eyes kept flicking toward Jingyis sword.
Minato chuckled. Kakashi was composed most of the time, but not when Jingyi was around.
Curiosity was written all over him.
"Jingyi... That sword is it the Nidaime's?"
"The Sword of the Thunder God," Jingyi confirmed, drawing it partway from its sheath. The blade was slender, its edge faintly glowing with chakra potential.
"It's on loan from Hokage-sama. Can't afford one of my own yet," he joked.
Unlike Asuma, who had access to the Sarutobi clan's resources, Jingyi had to make do.
Shisui leaned in, recognition flashing in his eyes. He remembered that blade from the training match.
The sword wasn't even using its full powern and still, his teacher had overwhelmed them.
He clenched his fists.
The Uchiha clan always spoke of power and glory. But Jingyi, and Minato, both stood beyond the clan's reach.
What good were pride and politics, if they left you blind to strength?
In that moment, Shisui's doubts deepened and his loyalty to his teacher only grew stronger.
If the Uchiha were to survive the coming years, it wouldn't be through arrogance.
It would be through evolution.
Through people like Obito.
And himself.